It is unfortunate how little the younger generations know about the sacrifices and heroic gestures this country has made over the years. We are taught about them but for some reason don't seem to truly hear. I've been guilty of this myself. These men and women, past and present deserve our sincere respect and gratitude. Thanks for everything.

This is true. All the men and women who have served our great nation over the years will be in my thoughts and prayers today.

This is from an e-mail I received from a friend a few years back. Stand up, show respect and remember the sacrifice and nobility of the Canadian Military.

This is from a British newspaper, funny how it took someone in
England to put it into words...

Sunday Telegraph Article

From today's UK wires: Salute to a brave and modest nation Kevin Myers, The Sunday Telegraph

LONDON - Until the deaths last week of four Canadian soldiers accidentally killed by a U.S. warplane in Afghanistan, probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian
troops were deployed in the region. And as always, Canada will now bury its dead, just as the rest of the world as always will forget its
sacrifice, just as it always forgets nearly everything Canada ever does. It seems that Canada's historic mission is to come to the
selfless aid both of its friends and of complete strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well and truly ignored. Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge of the hall, waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A fire breaks out, she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, and suffers serious injuries. But when the hall is repaired and the dancing resumes, there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she once helped glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting her yet again. That is the price Canada pays for sharing the North American continent with the United States, and for being a selfless friend of Britain in two global conflicts. For much of the 20th century, Canada was torn in two different directions: It seemed to be a part of the old world, yet had an address in the new one, and that divided identity ensured that it never fully got the gratitude it deserved. Yet its purely voluntary contribution to the cause of freedom in two world wars was perhaps the greatest of any democracy. Almost 10% of Canada's entire population of seven million people served in the armed forces during the First World War, and nearly 60,000 died. The great Allied victories of 1918 were spearheaded by Canadian troops, perhaps the most capable soldiers in the entire British order of battle. Canada was repaid for its enormous sacrifice by downright neglect, its unique contribution to victory being absorbed into the popular Memory as somehow or other the work of the "British." The Second World War provided a re-run. The Canadian navy began the war with a half dozen vessels, and ended up policing nearly half of the Atlantic against U-boat attack. More than 120 Canadian warships participated in the Normandy landings, during which 15,000 Canadian soldiers went ashore on D-Day alone. Canada finished the war with the third-largest navy and the fourth-largest air force in the world. The world thanked Canada with the same sublime indifference as it had the previous time. Canadian participation in the war was acknowledged in film only if it was necessary to give an American actor a part in a campaign in which the United States had clearly not participated - a touching scrupulousness which, of ourse, Hollywood has since abandoned, as it has any notion of a separate Canadian identity.
So it is a general rule that actors and filmmakers arriving in Hollywood keep their nationality - unless, that is, they are Canadian.
Thus Mary Pickford, Walter Huston, Donald Sutherland, Michael J.Fox,
William Shatner, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg, Alex Trebek, Art Linkletter and Dan Aykroyd have in the popular perception become American, and Christopher Plummer, British. It is as if, in the very act of becoming famous, a Canadian ceases to be Canadian, unless she is Margaret Atwood, who is as unshakably Canadian as a moose, or Celine Dion, for whom Canada has proved quite unable to find any takers. Moreover, Canada is every bit as querulously alert to the achievements of its sons and daughters as the rest of the world is completely unaware of them. The Canadians proudly say of themselves -and are unheard by anyone else - that 1% of the world's population has provided 10% of the world's peacekeeping forces. Canadian soldiers in the past half century have been the greatest peacekeepers on Earth - in 39 missions on UN mandates, and six on non-UN peacekeeping duties, from Vietnam to East Timor, from Sinai to Bosnia. Yet the only foreign engagement that has entered the popular on-Canadian imagination was the sorry affair in Somalia, in which out-of-control paratroopers murdered two Somali infiltrators. Their regiment was then disbanded in disgrace - a uniquely Canadian act of self-abasement for which, naturally, the Canadians received no international credit. So who today in the United States knows about the stoic and selfless friendship its northern neighbour has given it in Afghanistan? Rather like Cyrano de Bergerac, Canada repeatedly does honourable things for honourable motives, but instead of being thanked for it, it remains something of a figure of fun. It is the Canadian way, for which Canadians should be proud, yet such honour comes at a high cost. This week, four more grieving Canadian families knew that cost all too tragically well.

Great piece. I have the greatest respect in the world for the men and woman who fought in the World Wars. I have just as much for the individuals overseas now, serving to make this world a better place. My sincere thanks to the men and woman who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom and peace.

I echo all your great thoughts on here, and wish all the best for those still serving our country. And for all those who have served and passed on, I wish a deep and peaceful sleep for you. You have earned it.

Today is the day, however briefly, we set aside our political and regional differences.

For on this day, we are all Canadians, united in respect for all those who have served and continue to serve us in both war and peace.

As well as those who died, we honour, and remember, those who returned home from war, forever scarred, both physically and emotionally, by its horrors.

We honour, and remember, the grief and despair of those who lost their loved ones in war, or saw them return home from war forever broken and changed.

We honour and remember, as well, the joy of all those who were safely reunited with their loved ones.

We do this not to glorify war, for, as any veteran will tell you, war is the worst thing and the very last thing a nation should ever embark on, even when the cause is just and no matter how grievous the wrongs we are trying to right.

But we do it because we realize there are moments in our history when blood is the price that freedom demands..

I attended my children's Remembrance Day Ceremonies yesterday and it was very well thought out and very well put together. It brought tears to my eyes. They had a WWII vet there that the School acknowledged, they also acknowledged the Brave men and women that were fighting now for a better world to live in. The Girl Guides and Scouts all did the Color Guard and they had a Cadet place a Wreath on a small cross with poppies on it. It was a very touching ceremony and showed this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8poZshcDj8g a pittance of time. I really hope that a majority of the students realize what it meant.

Apologies for the late arrival, I was out paying tribute to our soldiers. Hopefully you will indulge me, as I just wanted to post the blog entry I made today:

One of the very best things I did growing up was become an Army Cadet. I was a member of the 526 Winnipeg Grenadiers Cadet Corps out of Minto Armouries on St. Matthews for 7 years. I learned at a young age about the amazing, brave and proud women and men who have served, protected, were injured and made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us and this great country. From WWI and II, through the Korean, Vietnam, Iraqi wars and countless other armed conflicts and peacekeeping missions, these citizens have shown incredible poise, bravery and honour.

I spent not only every Remembrance Day on parade during my tenure, but saw films, watched ceremonies, and most fortunately heard first hand stories of conflict, bravery and sacrifice. I was amazed and really came to appreciate veterans and all they have done for us.

I really hope that you will take some time on Remembrance Day to attend a parade, go to a legion, watch documentaries, wear a poppy, and shake the hand of a veteran and say thank you. Itís great to have a day off in the middle of the week, but letís not forget why we have this day.

One of the most poignant and touching moments of Remembrance Day is the reading of Flanders Fields, an incredible gift from Lt. Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian serviceman.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
- John McCrae

Mere words are not enough to thank our veterans and honour those who died in service of our country. I know many people observe this day at home but I would encourage everyone to go to a cenotaph service next year to be with the veterans as they remember their fallen comrades. It means so much to them to have a good turnout of people.

My family and I have attended Remembrance Day services annually for 10 years now, since our children were very small, in the snow, the wind, the rain and today, on a pleasantly mild, sunny day. In every type of weather, no matter how discomforting, the veterans are also there, some still strong, some very fragile. Our whole family is involved in Guiding and Scouting and we have the honour of joining the veterans as they march to the cenotaph. This year both my son and daughter were flag bearers for their Scout and Guide districts and they were both honoured to be asked to do this. Over the years, I find the schools have been doing more and more to educate the younger generation about Remembrance Day and I do hope this trend continues. It is so important.

A good friend of mine was telling me today about her grandfather. He served in both World Wars. He lied about his age both times - for WWI he was too young and for WWII he was too old. But he was intent on serving and he did so. Nothing was going to stop him. Thankfully he was fortunate and survived, going on to live into his 80's.

I leave my poppy, as requested by the veterans, at the cenotaph every Remembrance Day but I keep a small poppy pin on my jacket and on my truck visor year round. Remembering every day to not take life for granted is the very least I can do to honour and thank those who fought and died for us.

It is unfortunate how little the younger generations know about the sacrifices and heroic gestures this country has made over the years. We are taught about them but for some reason don't seem to truly hear. I've been guilty of this myself. These men and women, past and present deserve our sincere respect and gratitude. Thanks for everything.

I disagree with this completely, to be honest. I think kids today are quite well educated about what Remembrance Day means and why it's important. You learn about it in school, admittedly not in high detail and more about WWII than WWI, but the basics, which are still important. We always had ceremonies and assemblies on Nov. 10th. Is a 10-year-old kid going to truly appreciate the sacrifices soldiers made? No, but that's because they're 10, and fortunate enough not to know anything about fighting or dying in a war. As you grow up, you gain a better understanding about what it all means, and because you learned that it's important when you were young, you pay attention as you get older.

I agree ceremonies in school should be mandatory. My K-9 school it always was, and I was sort of shocked when I got to high school and they just had an optional ceremony over lunch.

I disagree with this completely, to be honest. I think kids today are quite well educated about what Remembrance Day means and why it's important. You learn about it in school, admittedly not in high detail and more about WWII than WWI, but the basics, which are still important. We always had ceremonies and assemblies on Nov. 10th. Is a 10-year-old kid going to truly appreciate the sacrifices soldiers made? No, but that's because they're 10, and fortunate enough not to know anything about fighting or dying in a war. As you grow up, you gain a better understanding about what it all means, and because you learned that it's important when you were young, you pay attention as you get older.

Agreed. I'm amazed sometimes how young people get right to the heart of the matter and understand.

A young woman in Grande Prairie doing just that and making a statement heard all the way to the soldiers.